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COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 
UP TO DATE 



This book is written in ac- 
cordance with the revised laws 
of The Whist Club of New 
York, published October 25, 
1913. Acknowledgment is 
made by the Author for per- 
mission to incorporate them 
in this new edition. 



Royal Auction Bridge 

UP TO DATE 

INCLUDING 

NULLOS 

By 

H. P. CLARK 

Author of 

"Condensed Bridge" 

"Auction Bridge Condensed" 

"Auction Bridge " 




NEW YORK 

DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY 

1914 



V 






Copyright, 191 3, 1914, by 
DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY 



r £* 



MAR -5 1914 

©CI.A369233 



CONTENTS 
ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

PAGE 

Introduction 7 

Description of the Game and its 

General Principles . . . 12 

Rubber 17 

Score . 18 

Rules for Bidding . . . . 19 

Opening Bid 22 

No-trump Bid 25 

Royals . . . . . . . 27 

Red Suits 28 

Clubs 30 

" One Spade " . . . . . 30 
" Two Spades " ....31 

Second Player's Bid . . . 33 

Third Player's Bid . . . 35 

Fourth Player's Bid ... 38 

Bidding After the First Round . 41 

Doubling and Re-doubling . . 44 

Opening Lead 48 

No-trump 50 

The Best Leads for a Doubled 

No-trump 52 

5 



CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Best Leads for a Doubled De- 
clared Trump . . . . 52 

Echo 53 

Discards 53 

The Revoke . . . . .54 

Resume 55 

Practice Hands 60 

Practice Hand No. r. (Good 
Hands Bidding Against Each 
Other to the Score) . . . 61 
Practice Hand No. 2. (Doubling 

to the Score) 63 

Practice Hand No. 3. (Over- 
taking) 65 

Practice Hand No. 4. (Leading 

Through Strength) ... 67 
Practice Hand No. 5. ("Two 

Spade" Bid) 69 

Practice Hand No. 6. (Over- 
taking, Thereby Making Two Re- 
entries for Dummy's Clubs) . . 71 
Three-Handed Auction Bridge . 72 
Laws of the Game . . . 77 

Nullos 121 

Glossary 142 

6 



INTRODUCTION 

A revised count at Auction has come 
into vogue, and I have endeavored 
in this new edition, to give a descrip- 
tion of the game as it is played to- 
day. Under this new count, holding 
a good Spade suit with top Honors 
you declare Royals and not " two 
Spades " as formerly. 

The new count does not alter the 
principles of the game of Auction, 
but the score is materially changed. 
The advantage of Royals over the 
old count is, that good dark suits 
are not wasted, but are bid up and 
competition is made more lively. 
The suit values are but one point 
apart. Thus, a one bid will not beat 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

a two bid, as before, when a " one 
no-trump " declaration over-called a 
" two Club " bid. You can now go 
game in the black suits, which even 
a grand slam would not give you at 
the old count, when Spades and Clubs 
scored only two and four. Royals 
and Clubs now present a very sub- 
stantial Honor count, and are worthy 
of consideration. 

Auction has many exciting phases 
of play that do not occur at the par- 
ent game, Bridge, and to many of 
its devotees it undoubtedly owes its 
popular precedence over Bridge to 
its more exciting possibilities in the 
matter of playing for stakes. Auc- 
tion also requires a keener sense of 
values. 

The score plays an all important 
part in the bidding, and it requires 
clever strategy and good judgment 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

to know when to force the opponent's 
bid to an unattainable contract and 
when to take the bid away from him, 
especially when the score is a game 
each and a fulfilled contract may give 
him the rubber. If the bid fails, you 
can only lose in the Honor column, 
and you still have a chance for a 
more successful bid on the next deal. 

The loss at Auction differs from 
Bridge in this: the declarant loses 
only to his adversary in the Honor 
column, while in Bridge the adver- 
sary scores against him in the trick 
column, which frequently gives him 
game or rubber. 

When doubled at Auction, the 
game, if successful, counts an addi- 
tional benefit over Bridge, for you 
score, not only for the doubled 
tricks in the score, the same as at 
Bridge, but you also receive a bonus 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

in the Honor column, which does not 
occur at Bridge. Good hands are 
not wasted at Auction. 

The privilege of bidding for the 
trump gives each player a chance to 
name his own suit, and, if he is not 
strong enough to over-call his oppo- 
nent, at least he has given valuable 
information to his partner, and di- 
rects his lead in case he has no top 
cards of his own. A declaration at 
Bridge is final, while at Auction it 
is frequently no more than an indi- 
cation of strength. 

Before Bridge became so generally 
known, it was not uncommon to meet 
with players who boasted their in- 
dependence of rules. They were 
quite content to rely on their " card 
sense," as they expressed it, and it 
never seemed to occur to them what 
a blind game they were playing. 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

There may be novices at Auction 
who are likewise self-sufficient, but 
just as Bridge grew upon the casual 
player more and more, until he was 
not satisfied to play a mediocre 
game himself nor to join in a game 
with those who did, so it will be 
with Auction and in a much shorter 
time. The loss to the player who 
boasts of his independence of rules 
at Auction will soon demonstrate to 
him that a thorough knowledge of 
the different phases of the game is 
essential to a satisfactory score and 
as an acceptable partner. 



DESCRIPTION OF THE 
GAME AND ITS GEN- 
ERAL PRINCIPLES 

The new count equalises the chance 
for going game. Black suits are 
not relegated to an insignificant place 
in the bidding, but are now only one 
point apart from the red suits. 

If a player is able to make a 
declaration other than Spades, he 
should do so. It gives information 
to his partner, and possibly discour- 
ages the adversary from bidding a 
suit in which he has no protection. 
Under this count, holding a good 
Spade hand with top Honors you do 
not bid " two Spades " but declare 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

Royals (formerly called Lilies) just 
as you would Hearts or Diamonds. 
Royals over-call both red suits, and 
is only one point less in value than 
no-trumps. No-trumps remain the 
only bid where three odd tricks go 
game from a love score. 

A declaration of one trick should 
not be doubled. The double shows 
too plainly where strength lies, and 
the opponents will hasten to change 
the suit if they possibly can. To 
double a declaration of two or three 
tricks is a different matter, so large 
a contract is generally too high for 
any further bidding. Bear in mind 
that when the score is 18 it takes 
but " two Royals," " two Hearts," 
" two Diamonds," or " two Clubs " 
to go game. 

When there is no chance that the 
opponents can win game at their 
13 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

declaration, do not jeopardise the 
score by an unsound bid, nor by a 
double which may put them out; but 
when their contract, if successful, will 
give them game, then, a double is 
warranted, or the bid may be raised 
even to a doubtful point if the rubber 
is at stake. 

Always try to shut out opposing 
bids when it is the rubber game and 
your Honor score is behind. 

Don't let adversaries communicate 
too cheaply. It is high card strength 
which counts at Auction ; for example, 
it is dangerous to declare a suit hold- 
ing five or six, if it includes but 
one Honor and lacks side strength. 
With five trumps and two Honors 
a suit may be declared, but the 
Honors should consist of Ace-King, 
King-Queen, or Ace-Queen ; with less 
value in the Honors, the declaration 
14 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

must be backed by suit strength. [To 
be more explicit, the player should 
at least hold two positive tricks in 
the suit he names. 

The " two Spade " bid is often mis- 
understood by the dealer's partner; 
it is a direct invitation to him to 
make a call of some kind, and he 
should do so. If he cannot go no- 
trumps, he must bid his best suit, 
even if it be but four or five cards 
to the Jack. This is valuable in- 
formation to the dealer, and it more 
often saves the game than loses it. 

The dealer may be just short of 
a strong bid, therefore his partner's 
declaration is a necessary enlighten- 
ment. There is a convention among 
some players that the " two Spade " 
call means not only assistance at no- 
trump (as before), but also some- 
thing in Royals; but as this conven- 
15 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

tion is not established, and is not 
likely to be, it cannot be played un- 
less partners agree on it beforehand. 
When making a declaration, weigh 
the probable result, and try to judge 
how the opponents are likely to re- 
spond. 



16 



ROYALS 

("Lilies") 



New Count 


♦ *♦*! 


►i 


Each Trick Over Six . . 


2 6 7 8 9 


10 


Thne Honors . . . . 


4 12 14 16 18 


30 


Four Honors 


8 24 28 32 36 


40 


Five Honors 


10 30 35 40 45 




Four Honors in One Hand. 


16 48 56 64 72 


100 


"»■— liSias 


18 54 63 72 81 




Five Honors in One Hand. 


20 60 70 80 90 




Chicane 


4 12 14 16 18 




Little Slam . . . . 


20 20 20 20 20 


20 


Grand Slam .... 


40 40 40 40 40 


40 



RUBBER 

The partners first winning two 
games win rubber. If the first two 
games decide the rubber, the third 
is not played. 

17 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 
SCORE 

A game consists of 30 points ob- 
tained by tricks alone, exclusive of 
any points counted for Honors, Chi- 
cane, Slam, Bonus, or Undertricks. 
Game, Honors, Slams, and Chicane 
count at Auction the same as at 
Bridge except winners of rubber 
score 250 points. At the conclusion 
of a rubber the trick and Honor 
scores of each side are added, and 
the difference between the two scores 
is the number of points won or 
lost. 

Only the declarant scores in the 
trick score. If he fails to fulfil his 
contract, neither side can score a 
trick toward the game but the ad- 
versary gets 50 points in the Honor 
column for each lacking trick. 
Thus, if the declarant has bid for 
18 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

eight tricks and wins but six, he has 
lost two tricks. 

Doubling and re-doubling re-open 
the bidding. 

When doubled, the loss is ioo for 
each trick, and 200 if re-doubled. 
When the declarant fulfils his con- 
tract, he scores the same as at 
Bridge: if doubled he receives 50 
points for making what he bid, and 
50 for each additional trick, and 100 
if re-doubled, besides scoring the 
extra tricks made at double their 
value in the trick column. A " one 
Spade " bid is limited to 100 points 
whether doubled or not. 

RULES FOR BIDDING 

Cutting and dealing are the same 

as at Bridge. The Ace of Hearts 

is low, next the Diamond, next the 

Club, and highest the Spade. The 

19 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

main divergence from Bridge is in 
the declaration. 

The dealer cannot pass; he must 
make an opening bid of some 
kind. 

Each player starting at the deal- 
er's left has the right to pass, double, 
re-double, or change the suit. 

To change the suit, the bid must 
be for a greater number of tricks, 
or for a higher value in points: for 
example, contracting to take two 
tricks of a suit will outbid one trick 
of another suit of the same value; 
thus, " two Clubs " is a higher de- 
claration than " one Heart," and 
" two Diamonds " takes precedence 
over " one no-trump." No player 
can raise his own bid after the other 
players have passed. A player may 
over-bid a previous declaration, even 
if it be his partner's. 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

The highest bidder becomes the 
declarant, and he plays the com- 
bined hands, his partner being 
dummy, unless he has raised the suit 
his partner first named. In that case 
the original bidder plays the dummy. 

The player should specify both 
the suit and the number of tricks 
which he wishes to bid, saying, " One 
no-trump," "Two Hearts," etc.; if 
he wishes to pass, he should say, 
" No," " No more," or " I pass." 

Should a player in bidding fail to 
call a sufficient number of tricks to 
' outbid a previous declaration the bid 
stands as if the right number had 
been named, and his partners cannot 
make any further declaration, unless 
one of his adversaries has subse- 
quently made a higher bid. The de- 
clarant's book is the first six tricks 
out of the thirteen. The opponent's 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

book is the difference between what 
the declarant bid and thirteen — for 
example, if the declarant has bid 
two in Royals, he declares to get 
eight tricks (two over the book). 
The difference between his declara- 
tion for eight tricks, and those re- 
maining are the opponent's book, 
which would be five at this bid; or 
if the declarant bids four in a suit, 
the opponent's book would be only 
three. 

When either side has a book com- 
pleted, the tricks should be gathered 
together in one pile, and those over 
the book should be placed separately 
so that they can be easily counted by 
either side. 

OPENING BID 

The first object of the opening 
bid is to give the partner informa- 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

tion. The dealer is always at a dis- 
advantage, for he cannot pass to 
hear the following bids which is the 
privilege of the other players. He 
must make a declaration of some 
kind. Therefore his is a forced bid, 
while all the others are free or vol- 
untary. 

The bidding on the first round is 
hardly ever final — you are simply 
promising your partner two positive 
tricks. Any suit headed by Ace-King 
(no matter how short) or Ace-Queen 
to five cards, or else the three top 
Honors (when there are no small 
trumps) constitute a one bid; other- 
wise if your best suit has but one 
high Honor, you must hold an out- 
side trick. 

The bidding on the first round is 
merely informatory. Of course you 
may have an excellent hand, but your 
23 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

partner is only counting on you for 
the two tricks promised. 

It is not considered good play to 
make an opening call of two tricks; 
if your hand is really worth two you 
can go up on the next round — and 
if you are left in with the one bid 
it is just so much easier to make, 
and you score your extra trick or 
tricks just the same. 

The second, third, and fourth play- 
ers make their declaration on the 
same principle as the dealer if they 
decide to bid at all; it is more fre- 
quently the second hand's duty to let 
the bid go by than it is any of the 
other players. He will often chance 
a pass on a good hand with the two- 
fold object of seeing how the other 
bids go. It may give him an oppor- 
tunity to double, or to use the in- 
formation gained to go no-trump. 
24 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

If these fail he still has the choice 
of leaving his partner in, or if he 
has not an assisting hand he can name 
his own suit. 



NO-TRUMP BID 

The no-trump bid is now reduced 
to a normal count, and while it still 
remains the only call where three 
odd tricks go game from a love score, 
it no longer beats a two bid as for- 
merly, when a " one no-trump " de- 
claration over-called a " two Club " 
bid. 

An average no-trumper should con- 
sist of either one Ace and three 
guarded suits, or two Aces and one 
long suit with a top Honor. You 
can bid no-trumps at Auction without 
an Ace in your hand, providing you 
have good protection in all four suits. 
25 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

Holding reasonable strength, a de- 
clared trump is safer than a mediocre 
no-trumper. The weak point of a 
no-trump bid is that it is not likely to 
stand still (as at Bridge), the differ- 
ent suit bids of the adversary locat- 
ing their strength and directing the 
lead, which is often disastrous. 

At a declared trump this disad- 
vantage is practically eliminated, for 
their strength is of necessity your 
weakness. This gives you a chance 
to trump in. 

No-trump is no longer the aim of 
the Auction player, its outcome is too 
elusive. Before the game reached 
its present standard it was not con- 
sidered correct to bid no-trumps over 
an original declaration, unless you 
held protection in that suit. This 
handicap has been cut out from the 
" up to date " game, and it is only 
26 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

when an adversary has raised his one 
call to a two bid, that you should not 
go " two no-trumps " without pro- 
tection in the suit named. 



ROYALS 

Royals (formerly called Lilies) is 
a good Spade suit with top Honors 
scoring 9 a trick. At the old count 
the most you would bid with a simi- 
lar hand would be " two Spades." 
Under the revised count you bid a 
Royal just as you would a Heart or 
a Diamond, except that the hand 
should be slightly stronger, as it ex- 
cludes all one bids except no-trumps, 
and you run a greater risk of being 
left in than with the other suits. 

Royals now present a very sub- 
stantial Honor count, and are worth 
trying foi ; and as it is only one point 
27 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

less than no-trumps it is really a val- 
uable bid. Your partner should not 
take you out unless he can offer no 
assistance and feels that he has a 
justifiable "two bid " in another suit. 
With only an average no-trumper, 
he should let your bid stand and be 
satisfied with holding some good suit 
cards to assist your hand. 

A " one " bid at Royals should not 
average less than five trumps with 
two top Honors and a probable out- 
side trick, or four, trumps including 
three top Honors and a positive out- 
side trick, such as an Ace or a pro- 
tected King. 

RED SUITS 

Hearts and Diamonds no longer 
hold sway over the black suits, 
they are each but a point apart, 
28 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

and are now reduced to a normal 
count. 

A " one " bid in Diamonds no 
longer means no-trump assistance, it 
simply tells your partner that you 
hold two positive tricks in Diamonds. 
Of course if all he lacks to complete 
a no-trump announcement happens to 
be the red suit you have named, it 
will then enable him to make that bid. 

Your original call, whether it is 
Hearts or Diamonds, simply says — 
partner, I have two sure tricks in 
the suit I have bid, should you hold 
any outside tricks so much the better; 
but the point to be remembered is, 
that the conventional " one " bid in 
a declared suit means two positive 
tricks. 

In naming a Heart or Diamond 
you should hold either an Ace-King 
(no matter how short the suit) or 
29 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

an Ace-Queen to five cards, or else 
the three top Honors (when there 
are no small trumps). 

CLUBS 

At Royal Auction, Clubs are de- 
clared on exactly the same principle 
as Hearts and Diamonds. Formerly 
this bid scored only 4 a trick, and 
at that count you could not go game 
even if you made a grand slam. 
Under the revised score, 6 a trick, 
you can now go out on five odd, which 
gives it a new rank. 

SPADES 

A " one Spade " bid indicates 

weakness and promises nothing to 

the partner, even in Spades. It is 

compulsory for the dealer to make 

30 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

an opening bid of some kind; other- 
wise with such a hand he would 
gladly say pass. It sometimes hap- 
pens that he does not hold a " bust," 
and that he has a couple of possible 
tricks; but when they are in different 
suits and are at all uncertain, the 
Spade bid is obligatory. 

Should the dealer hold as many 
cards as five or six in one suit, headed 
by the Jack or even the Queen, he 
still must bid a Spade, for a bid at 
Auction does not mean length, but 
it does mean strength, and strength 
means top Honors. 

"TWO SPADES" 

The " two Spade " call is a direct 
invitation to your partner to make 
a bid of some kind. Failing no- 
trumps, the third player should de- 
31 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

clare in the strongest suit he holds, 
no matter how poor that suit may 
be. This situation is often misun- 
derstood by the third player when 
he is a novice at the game. At first 
glance it certainly does seem rash to 
over-call when your hand is weak, 
but the statistics of this play prove 
that the information thus given will 
work out with less loss to the partner 
who understands this correct method 
of giving information, than if the 
third hand passed, and left the dealer 
in the dark. The " two Spade " bid 
meant something, and his partner's 
call confers information that either 
gives him confidence to go to a fur- 
ther bid, or causes him to retire 
from the contest altogether. 

Should the third player's bid stand, 
it shows the cards are pretty evenly 
divided. He is not likely to go down 
32 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

for more than one or two tricks and 
he may possibly win out. Of course, 
if the second player has made a de- 
claration over the dealer, the third 
player's obligation is cancelled. 

A " two Spade " bid means two ab- 
solute tricks, but they are not concen- 
trated in one suit, and for that reason 
the dealer cannot name a higher call. 

SECOND PLAYER'S BID 

The second player's bid depends 
greatly upon the dealer's opening, 
and also, the state of the score. It 
is within your province to pass more 
often than any of the other players 
for the following reasons: there are 
two other bids to come after yours 
and the information thus gained may 
enable you to double or to help your 
partner if his call seems more ad- 
33 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

vantageous than your own. A cor- 
rect double invariably counts more 
than a make. To gain two or three 
tricks in the trick score cannot give 
you over 20 or 30 at the most, while 
a double scores 100 for each over- 
trick. Before making a bid you 
should take these points into consid- 
eration. 

When the dealer has declared a 
no-trump, and you hold a really good 
hand — pass, and keep your strength 
in reserve. Should he not declare 
no-trumps, then it is discretionary 
with you whether you think it advis- 
able to show your partner your suit. 
If it is the rubber game, and you hold 
a good hand, bid it by all means. 

With a strong suit, over-call the 
dealer's " two Spade " announce- 
ment; as the third player will very 
likely bid no-trumps, it assists your 
34 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

partner's lead in case he is unable 
to make a bid of his own. When 
the dealer has bid " one Spade " 
don't be over-anxious to take him 
out. 



THIRD PLAYER'S BID 

When you are third player you 
have already received considerable 
information. The dealer and the 
second player having had their say, 
you are in a position to size up the 
situation with a certain amount of 
acumen. The dealer's " one Spade " 
bid indicates general weakness; he 
may hold useful support in some suit, 
but, on the other hand he may hold 
a Yarborough, consequently your 
declaration should be one at which 
you can win with little or no assist- 
ance. Therefore do not change your 
35 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

partner's call unless you have a very 
strong hand. 

The informatory bids for the first 
hand do not apply to the third player < 
when his partner has bid " one 
Spade "; it is unnecessary to give the 
dealer any information, and unwise 
to take him out unless you hold a 
good hand. The most you can lose 
is ioo points in the Honor column. 

Bear in mind that should the sec- 
ond player pass, and your own hand 
has no pronounced strength, that the 
fourth player is marked with good 
cards, and that in all probability he 
will make a bid of some kind — pre- 
sumably no-trumps, as the declared 
suits have not been mentioned. 

If you make the no-trump call on 
your partner's Spade bid, you will 
surely meet with disaster unless you 
are exceptionally strong. 
36 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

When your partner has declared 
11 one no-trump," and the second 
player has passed, there are two 
courses open to you — with a generally 
assisting hand allow the bid to stand; 
however, if you can only help out in 
one suit, you must over-call the no- 
trumper with a " two " bid in which- 
ever suit you are strongest. This 
gives him valuable information, and 
places him in a position to judge be- 
tween the two makes. If his no- 
trump call was a light one, he will be 
glad to allow your bid to stand; if 
m the other hand he was only weak 
in the suit you have named, he will 
increase his contract to " two no- 
trumps " ; you must then be content to 
let the bid stand. 

The same tactics apply when the 
dealer has made an original suit de- 
claration. The object of taking your 
37 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

partner out of a no-trump bid is 
mainly defensive; if you cannot assist 
him, you are obliged to over-call, and 
the poorer the hand, the greater the 
necessity. 

When the second player has over- 
called the dealer's bid, you may raise 
your partner's declaration if you have 
at least two positive tricks, meaning 
Aces and Kings. Especially if the 
adversaries are likely to win game 
at their make, or your own declara- 
tion or your partner's will put you 
out. 

FOURTH PLAYER'S BID 

Most of the suggestions made for 
the guidance of the second and third 
players apply to the fourth hand. 
Being fourth player, the information 
given by the other hands puts you 

33 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

in a position to judge what is best 
to do. 

Do not over-bid your partner un- 
less your hand is very strong, and 
do not take your adversary out of 
a Spade declaration when your part- 
ner has passed, unless you have a 
good chance to go game. The most 
you can lose is a few points which 
are of no value; whereas, on the 
other hand should the adversary fail 
to make his contract, he stands to 
lose 50 or 100 points. Aside from 
this, an announcement by the fourth 
player gives the opponents a chance 
to re-open the bidding. 

If your hand is strong enough to 
go game, you will welcome this op- 
portunity either to push your adver- 
sary up to an unattainable contract 
or else to increase your own. When 
you have the slightest doubt in the 

39 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

matter, it is always safer to double 
your adversary's two or three trick 
bid and be satisfied by what you may 
get above the line, than to jeopardise 
any advantage you may already have 
toward game or rubber. 

When the dealer's " one Spade " 
bid has been over-called by your part- 
ner and passed by the third player, 
allow his raise to stand, if you can 
give him some assistance; if, on the 
other hand, you have decided strength 
in another suit, do not hesitate to 
over-call. 

When the dealer has opened with 
" one no-trump," or " one Heart," 
and your partner has over-called 
with, say, " two Royals," and the 
third player has bid " two no- 
trumps " you should hardly ever raise 
your partner's bid to a three trick 
declaration, which calls for nine 
40 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

tricks out of thirteen, and is a very- 
large contract to attain. 

The principles governing the 
fourth player's bid are almost iden- 
tical with those that influence the pre- 
vious bidders. Try to distinguish 
forced bids from voluntary bids, — by 
so doing you will give your partner's 
hand its proper estimate and not 
make the mistake of over-bidding 
your own. 

BIDDING AFTER THE 
FIRST ROUND 

At the conclusion of the first round 
of bidding, a certain degree of infor- 
mation has been imparted by the vari- 
ous declarations. 

Make use of any information your 
partner has given you to work it in 
with your own strength- 
41 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

Do not over-estimate trump length; 
it is high card strength which counts 
at Auction. With two sure tricks 
and a possible third in your own 
hand, raise your partner's " one 
trick " bid when he has been over- 
called. If his " two trick " bid has 
been raised, it is generally safe to 
venture a " three trick " call, pro- 
viding you hold three or four sure 
tricks. 

Avoid a contract of " nine tricks " 
and leave your adversaries in when 
they bid over eight, — such a contract 
is frequently beaten, and your gain 
in the Honor column may be con- 
siderable. 

It has been estimated that a bid 
of " three Hearts " over a bid of 
" two no-trumps " is defeated on an 
average of eight times out of ten. 
It stands to reason that a " two no- 
42 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

trump " bid includes not only gen- 
eral strength, but protection in the 
red suit you or your partner have 
indicated. 

There will be occasions when you 
ought to declare above the value of 
your hand (termed Flag Flying) ; 
for example, when the opponent's bid 
is likely to give them game, or when 
you can push them up to an unat- 
tainable contract. 

It is impossible to give a text for 
each case. 

Players will have to be guided by 
the score, by circumstances, and by 
their own experience, which should 
teach them when and how to discrim- 
inate. 

There is no limit to the number 
of bids made, providing a declara- 
tion is over-called by an adver- 
sary. 

43 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

No player can raise his own bid 
after the other players have passed, 
but he has the privilege of over-call- 
ing his partner, even though there 
has been no intermediate bid. 



DOUBLING AND RE- 
DOUBLING 

Doubling and re-doubling re-open 
the bidding. 

Any declaration can be doubled 
and re-doubled once, but not more. 

The effect of doubling is that the 
value of each trick over the book 
(the first six tricks) is doubled or 
quadrupled, but it does not alter the 
bidding value of the declaration: for 
example, a declaration of " two 
Royals " is higher than " one no- 
trump," although the no-trump call 
has been doubled. 

44 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

When a player whose declaration 
has been doubled makes good his 
contract by winning the declared num- 
ber of tricks, he scores a bonus of 
50 points in the Honor column for 
making what he bid, and 50 for 
each additional trick over and 100 if 
re-doubled, besides scoring the extra 
tricks made at double their value in 
the trick column. If he fails to fulfil 
his contract, he loses 100 for each 
lacking trick, and 200 if re-doubled. 

Partners cannot re-double each 
other, unless first doubled by an ad- 
versary, then a re-double is in order 
if the hand warrants it. Doubling 
depends mainly upon the state of the 
score. When it is the first game a 
double is preferable to a bid. This 
is the time to pile up Honors and 
to remember, that 100 or 200 re- 
ceived as a bonus for your adver- 

45 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

saries' lost tricks, will benefit your 
final accounting more than going 
game. 

Novices are too likely to want to 
play their hands, and too often lose 
sight of the fact that in using their 
good cards to set their opponents it 
frequently gives them the value of 
winning a rubber. 

Never double a " one " bid when 
you have the odd trick in your hand; 
let the bid stand — it calls attention 
to your strength, and if the adver- 
sary's partner has poor support, he 
is likely to change the suit. When 
it is the rubber game and you are 
behind, double freely if the declar- 
ant's fulfilled contract would win the 
rubber. 

Doubling locates high cards, and 
trump strength, and frequently con- 
fers more benefit on the adversary 
46 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

than it does on your partner. A 
player may double an adversary or 
change the suit, if he names more 
trick value, thus re-opening the bid- 
ding. Do not hasten to take your 
partner out of a double; he may be 
very glad to stay in. Of course, if 
you have been holding back and have 
a really good suit, you should make 
a bid. Your partner then has the 
privilege of going back to his origi- 
nal declaration, or it may happen that 
he will welcome the change of suit. 
In any case, don't meddle when your 
partner has been doubled, unless you 
feel sure of winning the contract you 
are obliged to assume. 

When the adversaries have made 
bids in different suits, you should not 
double at all unless you are equally 
strong in both suits, as it re-opens the 
bidding, and invariably results in the 
47 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

following opponent changing back to 
his own call. 

Doubling does not mean you ex- 
pect to win the odd; you are merely 
contracting to defeat the opponent's 
contract. 

In re-doubling, best position when 
playing after the maker. 

If a player doubles out of turn, the 
adversary at his left may demand a 
new deal; do not endanger the game 
by contracting for more tricks than 
the hand really warrants. 

OPENING LEAD 

The important part to remember 
is, to try to defeat the adversary's 
contract. 

A lead from an Ace-King suit, or 
an Ace from a long suit, gives the 
player a chance to look at dummy; 
48 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

this, with the partner's previous de- 
claration, should guide your subse- 
quent play. 

In playing to your partner's bid, 
lead the highest card of his suit; it 
clears it for him and leaves no doubt 
in his mind about where the high 
cards are located. Dummy's hand 
is on the table, therefore he knows 
they must be with the declarant. 

When your partner has made no 
announcement, and you have two 
suits of equal length, lead the one 
with the highest cards. With two 
or three Honors touching, lead the 
top, or fourth best when they are 
not in sequence. 

A singleton opening is often ad- 
visable if you have no top cards and 
have two or three small trumps. 



49 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 
NO-TRUMP 

Establish your long suit as quickly 
as possible, so as to delay the oppo- < 
nents from bringing in theirs. The 
opening lead at no-trump depends 
upon whether there has been any pre- 
liminary bidding; or whether the 
original no-trump declaration has 
been over-called. 

When the original bid stands, lead 
from your longest suit numerically, 
the same as at Bridge, leading your 
fourth best card unless your hand 
contains a sequence of two or three 
top cards. 

When your partner has made a 
previous declaration to your own, it 
is generally advisable to open it, but 
if you have a good suit with top 
cards, you may open your suit first 
and lead his afterwards. 
50 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

In playing to a suit, lead precisely 
the same as you would from your 
own hand — top cards in sequence, or 
fourth best. 

When the declaration is for three 
or more tricks in trumps, it is essen- 
tial to make good the high cards in 
your hand at once. A three or four 
trick contract is easily broken, and 
you must make your Aces and Kings 
before the declarant has a chance to 
get in a discard. With such a high 
bid he is apt to be short in at least 
one suit. 

Avoid a tenace opening, such as 
Ace-Queen or King-Knave suit. 

A player is more likely to make 
both cards good if he waits for the 
suit to be led to him. 



5i 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

THE BEST LEADS FOR A 
DOUBLED NO-TRUMP 

If you have indicated your own 
suit previous to your partner's double, 
lead it. 

If partner has indicated his suit 
previous to his double, lead it. 

BESTLEADS FOR A DOU- 

BLED DECLARED 

TRUMP 

When your partner has doubled 
a suit declaration, it does not neces- 
sarily signify that he wishes it led 
to him; in fact, it is not advisable, 
for the reason that it is up to the 
strength in the declarant's hand. 

An Ace-King, or King-Queen lead 
is your best opening; failing these, 
lead a singleton or fourth best from 
your longest suit. 
52 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

ECHO 

The Echo is one of the conventions 
at Bridge which has been introduced 
at Auction. 

The play of a high card, followed 
by a lower, indicates that you have 
no more and can trump the third 
round of the suit, or that you hold 
the remaining high card. 

Seldom echo above an Honor, so 
high a card is too valuable to throw 
away; besides it attracts the adver- 
sary's attention, and might enable 
him to make a successful finesse. 

DISCARDS 

The discard at Auction is from 
weakness. 

It is not necessary to show 
strength, as the previous bids have 
already supplied that information. 
53 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

When you are obliged to protect a 
weak suit, and are forced to discard 
from a long suit, play a seven or 
higher. 

The discard of a high card fol- 
lowed by a lower one shows strength 
in that suit. 



THE REVOKE 

A revoke occurs, when a player 
holding cards of the suit led, fails 
to follow suit, the penalty being 150 
points taken from the side revoking, 
and added to the adversaries' Honor 
score, and 100 points for each re- 
voke thereafter. The declarant has 
the privilege of taking three tricks 
from his opponents and adding them 
to his trick score, if it is advan- 
tageous to his contract or will help 
him to go game. In that case he 
54 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

cannot claim the 150 in the Honor 
column. 

If doubled he cannot claim any 
bonus in the Honor column for the 
three tricks gained by the revoke. 

Should the declarant revoke, he can- 
not score a single trick toward game. 

RESUME 

The bid at Auction simplifies the 
play to a great extent. 

It locates high cards and suit 
strength, which is of great advantage 
to the player; especially if he has a 
fair no-trump make, and is only lack- 
ing in the suit indicated by his part- 
ner. However, the revised count 
has robbed the no-trumper of its im- 
portance; for the bids are now only 
one point apart, thus equalising the 
chances of going game. 

A declared trump is always a safer 
55 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

proposition than a no-trump, for the 
reason that, while the various bids 
do assist the declarer of no-trumps 
to locate the adversaries' strength, 
the bids also assist the adversaries 
in knowing what to lead. 

When it is the rubber game, it 
is essential to know exactly how you 
stand in the Honor column before 
making a bid, and to know whether 
you score high enough to come out 
a winner in case the opponent's dec- 
laration goes through. When you 
have a good hand, bid it up to its 
full value. When the adversary is 
behind he is generally quite reckless 
in bidding his cards, with the sinister 
motive of either pushing you up to 
an unattainable contract, or of as- 
suming a losing declaration with the 
hope of having another chance for 
the rubber on the next deal. 
56 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

Remembering these points it is 
cleverer play to leave the adversaries 
in when your Honors are to the 
good, and when your hand is only 
mediocre. You may be able to set 
them back, or should they go game, 
the 250 for the rubber may not put 
them ahead. A player should never 
make a doubtful double when the ad- 
versary's contract would not other- 
wise score game. 

An uncertain double on the rubber 
is most unsound when the adversary's 
fulfilled contract cannot win game, 
as the double would put him out; but, 
when the opponent's fulfilled con- 
tract would give him game, or rub- 
ber, then a double is warranted, if 
he feels he has a fair chance to de- 
feat the contract. If the double is 
defeated the loss would not be seri- 
ous, and should the declarant fail to 
57 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

make good, the gain in the Honor 
column is worth trying for. 

The declarant should be familiar 
with the adversaries' bids, and thus 
be able to locate the suits against 
him, and so arrange the leads that 
he shall play through strength and 
up to weakness. It is much easier 
to establish a suit by leading up to 
it than by leading away from it. 

As Auction is manifestly a game 
of Aces and Kings, the fourth best 
play has little part in the game, ex- 
cept where there are no top cards 
in sequence in the hand ; then a knowl- 
edge of the rule of eleven, which 
applies to the fourth best play is nec- 
essary. 

(Deducting the number of spots 

on the card led from eleven shows 

how many cards higher than the card 

led are against your partner's suit.) 

58 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

Do not endanger a contract by- 
trying for extra tricks when you can- 
not go game ; on the other hand, when 
game or rubber is at stake, a finesse 
may be taken, when there is an even 
chance of winning the rubber, or of 
only losing the contract by a trick. 
The loss is small, if defeated, while 
the bonus for winning the rubber is 
250 points. When leading from a 
sequence, lead a top card. 

When a suit is led to you and you 
hold a sequence of two or more cards, 
play the lowest. 

Do not forget to watch your part- 
ner's first discard, if he has failed 
to make a bid. 

Watch the Honor score, as well 
as the trick score, and do not bid 
recklessly when there is a big Honor 
score against you. 



59 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



PRACTICE HAND No. 1 

(Good hands bidding against each other to the score.) 

<$ A,K,Q,10,5,3 

* A 

8,2 

4 K >?,6,4 







THIRD 


PLAYER 






VI 


H 

>> 






•■J 
O 


^?8,2 


*K,2,6 


< 

a. 






H 
X 


*J>8,4,3 


<£>A,K,O,,10,7,5 


Q 
2 
O 






13 

r 
> 


OJ»9,6,4 


4*10,3,2 


u 






w 


4 A > 8 > 5 






DEALER 







Q? 9,7,6,4 

«f» 10,9,7,5,2 

3 

4 Q.J.9 

Score: Dealer o to 14 — Rubber Game 
Third player wins five odd tricks and rubber. 



Dealer 
Spade 



2nd Player 
Diamond 



3rd Player 
Heart 



"Two Hearts" "Three Diamonds" "Three Hearts' 



No 
No 



'Four Diamonds" 
No 



4th Player 

"Two 

Diamonds" 

No 

No 



60 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

NOTES ON PRACTICE 
HAND No. 1 

The combination of cards in this 
hand is not unusual. It is impossible 
for the second player to win five 
odd in Diamonds, but he can win 
four. His partner's raise should 
promise him two positive tricks, with 
a possible third; therefore his fou^ 
bid is correct. He would have no 
excuse to go five in Diamonds unless 
his Honor score was behind. In 
that case, he should assume a losing 
contract, rather than chance the op- 
ponent's going rubber. However, if 
the second player's Honor score is 
300 or 400 to the good, he can afford 
to pass. 

The Ace of Diamonds and the Ace 
of Spades are the only tricks made 
by the second and fourth hands. 
61 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 
PRACTICE HAND No. 2 

(Forcing the adversary's bid with the object of doubling. ) 
V A, 10, 6, 3 

10,6 







♦ 


K, 2, 9, 6, 5, 4 








THIRD PLAYER 




^?7,4,2 




at 
M 


O 


^K,QJ,8 


*9,8 




s 

ft, 


X 


*A,J,10,4 


K >°~>J 


,9,7,2 




z 

o 


> 


<>A,8,4 


4bJ,7 




u 

M 


>< 
SO 
DEALER 


4 A, 10 






V 


9,5 






* 


K,Q,6,5,3,2 







5,3 




♦ 


8,3,2 




Score: c 


to o — First Game 


Declarant loses his contract by one trick. 


Dealer 


2nd Player 


3rd Playef 4th Player 


Club 
No 
No 
No 


Diamond 
No " 
No » 
No 


Royal No-trump 
Two Royals" "Two no-trumps' 
Three Royals" "Three no-trumps 

Double No 


No 


No 









6a 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

NOTES ON PRACTICE 
HAND No. 2 

The third player chances a double 
as the adversaries will go game any- 
way if they keep their contract. His 
double is justifiable, depending on his 
partner's Clubs and his being able 
to lead him a Spade, and also having 
the Ace of Hearts as re-entry for his 
own suit. The first game is an espe- 
cially good time for a double, as the 
rubber is not at stake, and for that 
reason it is the safest score at which 
to try for Honors. 

The dealer leads the Eight of 
Spades, which the declarant takes 
with his Ace, and immediately plays 
out the Diamonds. He makes an- 
other trick with his Ace of Clubs, 
only losing his contract by one point. 



63 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 
PRACTICE HAND No. 3 

(Overtaking.) 

W & 10, 7, 6, 4, 3, 2 

*8,7 

7,4 



*K,J,6,3 
4A,QJ,2 



♦ K,3 




THIRD PLAYER 




X 

w 

< 

04 


*1 
O 

c 
» 

H 
S 


o 


TJ 


z 


C 


o 


> 


u 




H 


W 


eo 


50 


DEALER 





+ 10,2 

<>K, 10,9,6,5,3 

+ 10,6,4 



V J 

+ A, 2, 9, 5,4 

A, 8, 2 
4 9,8,7,5 
Score: o to o — Rubber Game 
Second player wins four odd tricks and the rubber. 
Dealer 2nd Player 3rd Player 4th Player 

Club No-trump "Two Hearts" "Three Diamonds" 

"Three Hearts" "Four Pass Pass 

Pass Diamonds" 



64 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

NOTES ON PRACTICE 
HAND No. 3 

When it is the rubber game and 
there is no pronounced advantage on 
either side, your first thought should 
be whether the 250 for the rubber 
is worth more to you than what you 
might gain by setting the adversaries. 
Unless the declarant plays the Ace 
of Spades on the first round, he loses 
his contract. He cannot afford a 
finesse as he must make a second lead 
in Diamonds in order to get them 
out. By studying his combined cards 
he realises he must overtake his 
Queen of Diamonds with the King 
in order to continue playing the three 
remaining trumps, on which he dis- 
cards his Queen, Jack, and Deuce of 
Spades — losing only the last Club 
trick, but securing his four odd. 
65 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 
PRACTICE HAND No. 4 

(Leading through strength.) 

V 10,9,4,2 
* J>7,6,4 

K J>9 
*A,7 



4^(None) 

OQ,7,6,4 

4K,QJ,10,8,4 




^ A,K,2,8,3 
4k Q,9,2 
A, 10, 3, 2 



Score: o to o — First Game 
Dealer wins four odd tricks and the game. 
Dealer 2nd Player 3rd Player 4th Player 

Heart "Two Clubs" "Two Hearts" "Two Royals" 

"Three Hearts " "Three Royals " « ' Four Hearts " Pass 



66 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

NOTES ON PRACTICE 
HAND No. 4 

The declarant gets in on the fourth 
lead with his Ace of Spades, and after 
playing out the trumps, he must lead 
a small Diamond over to dummy's 
King. He then plays the Jack of 
Clubs which is high, giving him a 
Diamond discard in his own hand. 
As the fourth player has been throw- 
ing off Spades, the declarant realises 
he must be protecting the Queen of 
Diamonds, so he plays through it 
with his Jack. If the fourth hand 
does not cover with his Queen, he 
still has another Diamond to lead 
to his Ace, and his remaining trumps 
make good his contract. 



67 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



PRACTICE HAND No. 5 

("Two Spade" Bid.) 

C? 2,7,4 
4> 10,7,4,3 
J>5,2 

4 9 > 6 > 3 







THIRD PLAYER 






V^A,K,8,2 


X 

M 




o 
c 


<?J.U 


*A,J,8 


< 

0. 




X 


£6,2 


06 


1 




►8 

r 
> 


K >&9,7,4,3 


4*J,8,5,4,2 


w 


DEALER 


>< 
w 


4a,k,q 



^? 9,6,5,3 
* K,Q,9,5 
A, 10, 8 
4 !°> 7 
Score: o to o — Rubber Game 
Second player wins two odd tricks. 
Dealer 2nd Player 3rd Player 

"Two Spades" Pass Club 

"Two Clubs" "Two no-trumps" Pass 
Pass 



4th Player 
Diamond 



68 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

NOTES ON PRACTICE 
HAND No. 5 

The dealer has; a typical " two 
Spade " make. This bid promises 
two tricks, but as they are in differ- 
ent suits, no higher declaration can 
be made. Players often misunder- 
stand this call. If the hand con- 
tained " two " tricks in Spades the 
bid would be a Royal; therefore the 
" two Spade " announcement does 
not necessarily mean anything in 
Spades — it is merely the least expen- 
sive way of showing a helping hand, 
just as the " one Spade " bid is used 
to indicate a poor hand. 

The second player passes, know- 
ing the third hand will then be forced 
to make a bid. The dealer ventures 
u two Clubs." The declarant gets his 
contract before letting the others in. 
69 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



PRACTICE HAND No. 6 

(Overtaking, thereby making two re-entries for Dummy's Clubs.) 

<? A ' 4 

* £,J,10,9,6,5,2 

10 > 4 

4 aj 



(>2,8,6 
4^10,9,8,7,3 



THIRD PLAYER 



(^10,9,8,7,3 

*8,4 

A J,2 

46,5,2 



V Q,6,5,2 

* A 

K,9,7,5,3 

4 A,K,4 

Score: o to o — Rubber Game 
The dealer wins five odd tricks. 



Dealer 
No-trumps 



2nd Player 
No 



3rd Player 
No 



4th Player 
No 



70 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

NOTES ON PRACTICE 
HAND No. 6 

The second player leads his Ten 
of Spades because he cannot afford 
to unprotect his other suits. The 
declarant can see five odd tricks by 
making two re-entries for Dummy's 
Clubs, which must be led twice be- 
fore getting in; therefore he covers 
Dummy's Jack of Spades with his 
King, leaving the four-spot to lead 
back to the Queen which is high. Be- 
fore getting back in dummy, he un- 
blocks the Club suit by playing out 
the Ace. He then leads to the 
Queen of Spades and starts the Club 
suit to get out the King. The sec- 
ond hand plays a Diamond which is 
the only other trick the declarant 
loses. 



71 



THREE-HANDED AUC- 
TION BRIDGE 

The laws are the same as those of 
Auction Bridge except as varied by 
the following: 

i. — The game is played by three 
players, each against each; the table 
being complete with four players. 

2. — The player who cuts the low- 
est card has the first deal; the player 
cutting the next lowest card sits on 
the dealer's left, and the remaining 
player on the dealer's right. The 
cards are dealt as at Auction Bridge, 
but the cards dealt to the dummy are 
not taken up until after the final dec- 
laration has been made. If, whilst 
72 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

dealing, a card be exposed, there 
must be a new deal. 

3. — The dealer makes his declara- 
tion, and the bidding continues as at 
Auction Bridge, except that the play- 
ers sitting opposite each other are 
not partners, and their declarations 
are on their own account. There 
shall be no new deal on account of 
a player making a declaration out 
of turn, but the players so offending 
shall forfeit 50 points to each of the 
other players; the right to declare 
remaining with the player whose 
turn it was to make the declaration. 
The player making the final declara- 
tion (i.e., the declaration that has 
been passed by the other two play- 
ers) plays his own hand and that of 
the dummy against the other two 
players, who then, and for that par- 
ticular hand, become partners. If 
73 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

one of the players happen to be sit- 
ting opposite the declarant, he must 
move into the vacant seat at the 
table, thereby facing the player who 
becomes his partner for that hand. 

4. — If, after the deal has been 
completed and before a card has been 
led, any player exposes a card from 
his hand, he shall forfeit 100 points 
to each of the other players; and 
the declarant, — if he be not the 
offender — may call upon the eldest 
hand not to lead from the suit of 
the exposed card. If he does not 
exercise this right, the card must be 
left on the table as an exposed card. 
If the card be exposed by the de- 
clarant after the final declaration has 
been made, there is no penalty. 

5. — If a player double out of turn, 
he forfeits 100 points to his adver- 
saries, and the player whose declara- 
74 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

tion has been so doubled shall have 
the right to say whether or not the 
double shall stand. The bidding is 
then resumed; but if the double has 
been disallowed, the said declaration 
cannot be doubled by the player on 
the right of the offender. 

6. — The rubber consists of four 
games; but when two games have 
been won by the same player, the 
other or others are not played. 

7. — When the declarant makes 
good his declaration, he scores as at 
Auction Bridge; when he fails to do 
so, he loses to each of his adver- 
saries. 

8. — The scoring is the same as at 
Auction Bridge, except with regard 
to Honors, which are scored by each 
player severally, i.e., each player who 
has one Honor in Spades scores two; 
each player having two Honors in 
75 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

Spades scores four; a player hold- 
ing three Honors in Spades scores 
six; a player holding four. Honors 
in Spades scores sixteen; and a 
player holding five Honors in Spades 
scores twenty, and similarly for other 
suits. In a no-trump declaration, 
Aces count 10 each; and if all four 
be held by one player, ioo. 

9. — One hundred points are scored 
by each player for every game he 
wins, and the winner of the rubber 
adds a further 250 points to his 
score. 

10. — At the conclusion of the rub- 
ber, the total scores obtained by each 
player are added up separately, and 
each player wins from, or loses to, 
each other player the difference be- 
tween his score and that of the said 
other player. 



76 



THE LAWS OF AUCTION 
BRIDGE 



THE RUBBER 

i. — The partners winning the first 
two games win the rubber. If the 
first two games decide the rubber, a 
third is not played. 

SCORING 

2.— A game consists of 30 points 
obtained by tricks alone, exclusive of 
any points counted for Honors, Chi- 
cane, Slam, Little Slam, Bonus, or 
Under-tricks. 

3. — Every deal is played out, and 
any points in excess of the 30 nec- 
essary for the game are counted. 

4. — When the declarer wins the 
number of tricks bid, each one above 
79 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

six counts toward the game: two 
points when Spades are trumps, six 
when Clubs are trumps, seven when 
Diamonds are trumps, eight when 
Hearts are trumps, nine when Royal 
Spades are trumps, and 10 when 
there are no trumps. 

5. — Honors are Ace, King, Queen, 
Knave, and Ten of the trump suit; 
or the Aces when no trump is de- 
clared. 

6. — Honors are credited in the 
Honor column to the original hold- 
ers. 

7. — Slam is made when seven by 
cards is scored by either side, inde- 
pendently of tricks taken as penalty 
for the revoke; it adds 40 points to 
the Honor count.* 

8. — Little Slam is made when six 

*Law 84 prohibits the revoking side from 
scoring Slam or Little Slam. 
80 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

by cards is similarly scored; it adds 
20 points to the Honor count.* 

9. — Chicane (one hand void of 
trumps) is equal in value to simple 
Honors, i.e., if the partners, one of 
whom has Chicane, score Honors, it 
adds the value of three Honors to 
their Honor score; if the adversaries 
score Honors it deducts from the 
value of theirs. Double Chicane 
(both hands void of trumps) is equal 
in value to four Honors, and that 
value must be deducted from the 
Honor score of the adversaries. 

10. — The value of Honors, Slam, 
Little Slam, or Chicane is not affected 
by doubling or redoubling. 

11. — At the conclusion of the rub- 
ber the trick and Honor scores of 
each side are added, and 250 points 

*Law 84 prohibits the revoking side from 
scoring Slam or Little Slam. 

81 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

added to the score of the winners. 
The difference between the completed 
scores is the number of points of the 
rubber. 

12. — A proven error in the Honor 
score may be corrected at any time 
before the score of the rubber has 
been made up and agreed upon. 

13. — A proven error in the trick 
score may be corrected prior to the 
conclusion of the game in which it 
occurred. Such game shall not be 
considered concluded until a declara- 
tion has been made in the following 
game, or if it be the final game of 
the rubber, until the score has been 
made up and agreed upon. 

CUTTING 

14. — In cutting, the Ace is the low- 
est card; as between cards of other- 
wise equal value, the lowest is the 
82 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

Heart, next the Diamond, next the 
Club, and highest the Spade. 

15. — Every player must cut from 
the same pack. 

16. — Should a player expose more 
than one card, the highest is his cut. 

FORMING TABLES 

17. — The prior right of playing is 
with those first in the room. If there 
are more than four candidates of equal 
standing, the privilege of playing is 
decided by cutting. The four who 
cut the lowest cards play first. 

18. — After the table is formed the 
players cut to decide upon partners, 
the two lower playing against the 
two higher. The lowest is the 
dealer, who has choice of cards and 
seats, and who, having made his 
selection, must abide by it. 
83 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

19. — Six players constitute a com- 
plete table. 

20. — The right to succeed any 
player who may retire is acquired 
by announcing the desire to do so, 
and such an announcement shall con- 
stitute a prior right to the first 
vacancy. 

CUTTING OUT 

21. — If at the end of a rubber, 
admission is claimed by one or two 
candidates the player or players hav- 
ing played the greatest number of 
consecutive rubbers shall withdraw; 
but when all have played the same 
number, they must cut to decide upon 
the outgoers; the highest are out.* 

*See Law 14 as to value of cards in cutting. 
84 



RIGHT OF ENTRY 

22. — A candidate desiring to enter 
a table must declare his intention be- 
fore any player at the table cuts a 
card, whether for the purpose of 
beginning a new rubber or of cutting 
out. 

23. — In the formation of new 
tables candidates who have not played 
at any existing table have the prior 
right of entry. Others decide their 
right to admission by cutting. 

24. — When one or more players 
belonging to an existing table aid in 
making up a new one, he or they 
shall be the last to cut out. 

25. — A player who cuts into one 
table, while belonging to another, 
85 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

forfeits his prior right of re-entry 
into the latter, unless he has helped 
to form a new table. In this event 
he may signify his intention of re- 
turning to his original table when 
his place at the new one can be filled. 

26. — Should any player leave a 
table during the progress of a rub- 
ber, he may, with the consent of the 
three others, appoint a substitute to 
play during his absence; but such 
appointment shall become void upon 
the conclusion of the rubber, and 
shall not in any way affect the sub- 
stitute's rights. 

27. — If any player break up a 
table, the others have a prior right 
elsewhere. 



86 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

SHUFFLING 

28. — The pack must not be shuffled 
below the table nor so that the face 
of any card may be seen. 

29. — The dealer's partner must 
collect the cards from the preceding 
deal and has the right to shuffle first. 
Each player has the right to shuffle 
subsequently. The dealer has the 
right to shuffle last; but, should a card 
or cards be seen during his shuffling, 
or while giving the pack to be cut, 
he must re-shuffle. 

30. — After shuffling, the cards 
properly collected must be placed face 
downward to the left of the next 
dealer, where they must remain un- 
touched until the play with the other 
pack is finished. 



87 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 
THE DEAL 

31. — Each player deals in his turn; 
the order of dealing is to the left. 

32. — The player on the dealer's 
right cuts the pack, and in dividing 
it he must leave not fewer than four 
cards in each packet; if in cutting or 
replacing one of the two packets a 
card is exposed, or if there is any 
confusion or doubt as to the exact 
place in which the pack was divided, 
there must be a fresh cut. 

33. — When the player whose duty 
it is to cut has once separated the 
pack, he can neither re-shuffle nor re- 
cut, except as provided in Law 32. 

34. — Should the dealer shuffle the 
:ards after the cut, the pack must 
be cut again. 

35. — The fifty-two cards shall be 
dealt face downward. The deal is 
88 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

not completed until the last card has 
been dealt. 

36. — In the event of a misdeal the 
cards must be dealt again by the same 
player. 

A NEW DEAL 

37. — -There must be a new deal: 

A. — If the cards are not dealt 
into four packets, one at a 
time and in regular rotation, 
beginning at the dealer's left. 

B. — If, during a deal, or during 
the play, the pack is proven 
incorrect or imperfect. 

C. — If any card is faced in the 
pack or is exposed during the 
deal on, above, or below the 
table. 

D. — If any player has dealt to 
him a greater number of cards 
than thirteen, whether dis- 
covered before or during the 
play. 

89 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

E. — If the dealer deal two cards 
at once and then deal a third 
before correcting the error. 

F. — If the dealer omit to have 
the pack cut and either ad- 
versary calls attention to the 
fact prior to the completion 
of the deal and before either 
adversary has looked at any 
of his cards. 

G. — If the card does not come 
in its regular order to the 
dealer. 

38. — Should three players have 
their right number of cards, the 
fourth less, and not discover such 
deficiency until he has played, the 
deal stands; he, not being dummy, 
is answerable for any established re- 
voke he may have made as if the 
missing card or cards had been in 
his hand. Any player may search 
the other pack for it or them. 
90 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

39. — If, during the play, a pack 
be proven incorrect, such proof ren- 
ders the current deal void but does 
not affect any prior score. (See 
Law 37b.) If during or at the con- 
clusion of the play one player be 
found to hold more than the proper 
number of cards and another have 
an equal number less, the deal is void. 

40. — A player dealing out of turn 
or with the adversaries' cards may 
be corrected before the last card is 
dealt, otherwise the deal must stand, 
and the game proceed as if the deal 
had been correct, the player to his 
left dealing the next hand. A player 
who has looked at any of his cards 
may not correct such deal, nor may 
his partner. 

41. — A player can neither cut, 
shuffle, or deal for his partner with- 
out the permission of his adversaries. 
91 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



DECLARING TRUMPS 

42. — The dealer, having examined 
his hand, must declare to win at least 
one odd trick, either with a declared 
suit or at " no trumps." 

43. — After the dealer has made 
his declaration, each player in turn, 
commencing with the player on the 
dealer's left, has the right to pass, 
to make a higher declaration, to 
double the last declaration made, or 
to redouble a declaration which has 
been made, subject to the provisions 
of Law 54. 

44. — A declaration of a greater 
number of tricks in a suit of lower 
value, which equals the last declara- 
tion in value of points, shall be con- 
sidered the higher declaration — e.g., 
a declaration of " Three Spades " is 
92 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

a higher declaration than " One 
Club." 

45. — A player in his turn may 
overbid the previous adverse declara- 
tion any number of times, and may 
also overbid his partner, but he can- 
not overbid his own declaration 
which has been passed by the three 
others. 

46. — The player who makes the 
final declaration shall play the com- 
bined hands of himself and his part- 
ner (the latter becoming dummy), 
unless the winning suit was first bid 
by the partner, in which case he, no 
matter what bids have intervened, 
shall play the hand. 

47. — When the player of the two 
hands (hereinafter termed the " de- 
clarer ") wins at least as many tricks 
as he has declared, he scores the full 
value of the tricks won (see Laws 
93 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

4 and 6). When he fails, neither 
the declarer nor his adversaries score 
anything toward the game, but his 
adversaries score in the Honor col- 
umn 50 points for each under-trick 
— i.e., each trick short of the number 
declared; or if the declaration has 
been doubled, or re-doubled, 100 or 
200, respectively, for each such trick. 

48. — The loss on the original dec- 
laration by the dealer of " One 
Spade " is limited to 100 points 
whether doubled or not, unless re- 
doubled. Honors are scored as 
held. 

49. — If a player make a declara- 
tion (other than passing) out of turn, 
either adversary may demand a new 
deal, or may allow the declaration 
so made to stand, in which case the 
bidding shall continue as if the dec- 
laration had been in order. 
94 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

50. — If a player make an insuffi- 
cient or impossible declaration either 
adversary may demand that it be 
penalised, provided such demand be 
made before an adversary has passed, 
doubled, or declared. In case of an 
insufficient declaration the penalty is 
that the declarer must make his bid 
sufficient and his partner is debarred 
from making any further declaration 
unless an adversary subsequently bids 
or doubles. In case of an impossible 
declaration the penalty is that the 
dealer is considered to have bid to 
take all the tricks and his partner 
cannot further declare unless an ad- 
versary subsequently bids or doubles. 
Either adversary, instead of accept- 
ing the impossible declaration, may 
demand a new deal or may treat his 
own or his partner's last previous 
declaration as final. 
95 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

51. — If, after the final declaration 
has been made, an adversary of the 
declarer give his partner any in- 
formation as to any previous declara- 
tion whether made by himself or an 
adversary, the declarer may call a 
lead from the adversary whose next 
turn it is to lead; but a player is 
entitled to inquire, at any time during 
the play of the hand, what was the 
final declaration. 

52. — A declaration legitimately 
made cannot be altered after the next 
player has passed, declared, or 
doubled. Prior to such action by the 
next player, a declaration inadver- 
tently made may be corrected. 

DOUBLING AND RE- 
DOUBLING 

53. — The effect of doubling and 
re-doubling is that the value of each 
96 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

trick over six is doubled or quad- 
rupled, as provided in Law 4; but it 
does not alter the value of a declara- 
tion — e.g., a declaration of " Three 
Clubs " is higher than " Two Royal 
Spades " even if the " Royal Spade " 
declaration has been doubled. 

54. — Any declaration can be 
doubled and re-doubled once, but not 
more; a player cannot double his 
partner's declaration, nor re-double 
his partner's double, but he may re- 
double a declaration of his partner 
which has been doubled by an ad- 
versary. 

55. — The act of doubling or re- 
doubling re-opens the bidding. When 
a declaration has been doubled, or 
re-doubled, any player, including the 
declarer or his partner, can in his 
proper turn make a further declara- 
tion of higher value. 
97 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

$6. — When a player whose decla- 
ration has been doubled wins the de- 
clared number of tricks, he scores a 
bonus of 50 points in the Honor col- 
umn, and a further 50 points for 
each additional trick. If he or his 
partner has re-doubled, the bonus is 
doubled. 

57. — If a player double out of 
turn, either adversary may demand a 
new deal. 

58. — When the final declaration 
has been made the play shall begin, 
and the player on the left of the de- 
clarer shall lead. 

DUMMY 

59. — As soon as the player to the 
left of the declarer has led, the de- 
clarer's partner shall place his cards 
face upward on the table, and the 
98 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

duty of playing the cards from that 
hand shall devolve upon the declarer. 
60. — Before placing his cards upon 
the table the declarer's partner has 
all the rights of a player, but after 
so doing takes no part whatever in 
the play, except that he has the right : 

A. — To ask the declarer whether 
he has any of a suit in which 
he has renounced; 

B. — To call the declarer's at- 
tention to the fact that too 
many or too few cards have 
been played to a trick; 

C. — To correct the claim of 
either adversary to a penalty 
to which the latter is not en- 
titled; 

D. — To call attention to the 
fact that a trick has been 
erroneously taken by either 
side; 

E. — To participate in the discus- 
sion of any disputed question 

99 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

of fact after it has arisen be- 
tween the declarer and either 
adversary; 
F. — To correct an erroneous 
score. 



61. — Should the declarer's partner 
call attention to any other incident 
of the play in consequence of which 
any penalty might have been exacted, 
the declarer is precluded from exact- 
ing such penalty. 

62. — If the declarer's partner, by 
touching a card or otherwise, sug- 
gest the play of a card from dummy, 
either adversary may call upon the 
declarer to play or not play the card 
suggested. 

63. — Dummy is not liable to the 
penalty for a revoke; if he revoke 
and the error be not discovered until 
the trick is turned and quitted, 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

whether by rightful winners or not, 
the trick must stand. 

64. — A card from the declarer's 
own hand is not played until actually 
quitted ; but should he name or touch 
a card in the dummy, such card is 
considered as played unless he, in 
touching the card say, " I arrange," 
or words to that effect. If he simul- 
taneously touches two or more cards, 
he may elect which one to play. 

CARDS EXPOSED BE- 
FORE PLAY 

65. — If, after the cards have been 
dealt, and before the trump declara- 
tion has been finally determined, any 
player lead or expose a card, the 
partner of the offending player may 
not make any further bid or double 
during that hand, and the card is 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

subject to call. When the partner 
of the offending player is the original 
leader, the declarer may prohibit the 
suit of the exposed card being the 
initial lead. 

66. — If, after the final declaration 
has been made and before a card is 
led, the partner of the leader to the 
first trick expose a card, the declarer 
may, in addition to calling the card, 
prohibit the lead of a suit of the 
exposed card; should the rightful 
leader expose a card it is subject to 
call. 

CARDS EXPOSED DUR- 
ING PLAY 

67. — All cards exposed after the 
original lead by the declarer's adver- 
saries are liable to be called, and 
such cards must be left face upward 
on the table. 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

68. — The following are exposed 
cards : 

ist. — Two or more cards played 
at once. 

2nd. — Any card dropped with 
its face upward upon the 
table, even though snatched 
up so quickly that it cannot 
be named. 

3rd. — Any card so held by a 
player that his partner sees 
any portion of its face. 

4th. — Any card mentioned by 
either adversary as being held 
by him or his partner. 

69. — A card dropped on the floor 
or elsewhere below the table or so 
held that an adversary but not the 
partner sees it, is not an exposed 
card. 

70. — If two or more cards are 
played at once by either of the de- 
clarer's adversaries, the declarer 
103 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

shall have the right to call any one 
of such cards to the current trick 
and the other card or cards are ex- 
posed. 

71. — If, without waiting for his 
partner to play, either of the declar- 
er's adversaries play or lead a win- 
ning card, as against the declarer 
and dummy, and continue (without 
waiting for his partner to play) to 
lead several such cards, the declarer 
may demand that the partner of the 
player in fault win, if he can, the 
first or any other of these tricks, and 
the other cards thus improperly 
played are exposed cards. 

72. — If either or both of the de- 
clarer's adversaries throw his or 
their cards on the table face upward, 
such cards are exposed and are liable 
to be called; but if either adversary 
retain his hand he cannot be forced 
104 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

to abandon it. Cards exposed by 
the declarer are not liable to be 
called. If the declarer say, " I have 
the rest " or any other words indi- 
cating that the remaining tricks or 
any number thereof are his, he may 
be required to place his cards face 
upward on the table. His adver- 
saries are not liable to have any of 
their cards' called should they there- 
upon expose them. 

73. — If a player who has rendered 
himself liable to have the highest or 
lowest of a suit called (Laws 80, 
86, and 92) fail to play as directed, 
or if, when called on to lead one 
suit he lead another, having in his 
hand one or more cards of the suit 
demanded (Laws 76 and 93), or if, 
called upon to win or lose a trick, 
fail to do so when he can (Laws 71, 
80, and 92), or if, when called upon 
105 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

not to play a suit, fail to play as 
directed (Laws 65 and 66) , he is 
liable to the penalty for revoke, un- 
less such play be corrected before 
the trick is turned and quitted. 

74. — A player cannot be compelled 
to play a card which would oblige 
him to revoke. 

75. — The call of an exposed card 
may be repeated until such card has 
been played. 

LEADS OUT OF TURN 

76. — If either of the declarer's 
adversaries lead out of turn the de- 
clarer may either treat the card so 
led as an exposed card or may call 
a suit as soon as it is the turn of 
either adversary to lead. 

77. — If the declarer lead out of 
turn either from his own hand or 
106 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

from dummy, he incurs no penalty; 
but he may not rectify the error after 
the second hand has played. 

78. — If any player lead out of turn 
and the three others follow, the trick 
is complete and the error cannot be 
rectified; but if only the second, or 
second and third play to the false 
lead, their cards may be taken back; 
there is no penalty against any ex- 
cept the original offender, who, if 
he be one of the declarer's adver- 
saries, may be penalised as provided 
in Law 76. 

79. — If a player called on to lead 
a suit has none of it, the penalty is 
paid. 

CARDS PLAYED IN 
ERROR 

80. — Should the fourth hand, not 
being dummy or declarer, play before 
107 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

the second, the latter may be called 
upon to play his highest or lowest 
card of the suit played, or to win 
or lose the trick. 

8 1. — If any one, not being dummy, 
omit playing to a trick and such 
error is not corrected until he has 
played to the next, the adversaries 
or either of them may claim a new 
deal; should either decide that the 
deal is to stand, the surplus card at 
the end of the hand is considered to 
have been played to the imperfect 
trick, but does not constitute a re- 
voke therein. 

82. — When any one except the 
dummy, plays two or more cards to 
the same trick and the mistake is not 
corrected, he is answerable for any 
consequent revokes he may have 
made. When during the play the 
error is detected, the tricks may be 
108 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

counted face downward, to see if 
any contain more than four cards; 
should this be the case, the trick 
which contains a surplus card or 
cards may be examined and the card 
or cards restored to the original 
holder, who (not being dummy) 
shall be liable for any revoke he 
may meanwhile have made. 

THE REVOKE* 

83. — A revoke occurs when a 
player, other than the dummy, hold- 
ing one or more cards of the suit 
led, plays a card of a different suit. 
It becomes an established revoke if 
the trick in which it occurs is turned 
and quitted by the rightful winners 
(i.e., the hand removed from the 
trick after it has been turned face 
*See Law 73. 
109 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

downward on the table) ; or if either 
the revoking player or his partner, 
whether in turn or otherwise, lead 
or play to the following trick. 

84. — The penalty for each estab- 
lished revoke is : 

A. — When the declarer revokes, 
his adversaries add 150 points 
to their score in the Honor 
column, in addition to any 
penalty which he may have 
incurred for not making good 
his declaration. 

B. — If either of the adversaries 
revoke, the declarer may 
either add 150 points to his 
score in the Honor column, 
or may take three tricks from 
his opponents and add them 
to his own. Such tricks may 
assist the declarer to make 
good his declaration, but shall 
not entitle him to score any 
bonus in the Honor column, 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

in the case of a declaration 
having been doubled or re- 
doubled. 
C. — When more than one re- 
voke is made by the same side 
during the play of the hand, 
the penalty for each revoke 
after the first shall be ioo 
points in the Honor col- 
umn. 

A revoking side cannot score except 
for Honors or Chicane. 

85. — A player may ask his part- 
ner if he has a card of the suit which 
he has renounced; should the question 
be asked before the trick is turned 
and quitted, subsequent turning and 
quitting does not establish a revoke, 
and the error may be corrected un- 
less the question is answered in the 
negative, or unless the revoking 
player or his partner has led or 
played to the following trick. 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

86. — If a player correct his mis- 
take in time to save a revoke, any 
player or players who have followed 
him may withdraw their cards and 
substitute others, and the cards so 
withdrawn are not exposed. If the 
player in fault is one of the declarer's 
adversaries, the card played in error 
is exposed and the declarer may call 
it whenever he pleases; or he may 
require the offender to play his high- 
est or lowest card of the suit to the 
trick, but this penalty cannot be ex- 
acted from the declarer. 

87. — At the end of a hand the 
claimants of a revoke may search all 
the tricks. If the cards have been 
mixed the claim may be urged and 
proved if possible; but no proof is 
necessary and the claim is established 
if, after it has been made, the accused 
player or his partner mix the cards 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

before they have been sufficiently ex- 
amined by the adversaries. 

88. — A revoke must be claimed be- 
fore the cards have been cut for the 
following deal. 

89. — Should both sides revoke, the 
only score permitted shall be for 
Honors in trumps or Chicane. If 
one side revoke more than once, the 
penalty of 100 points for each extra 
revoke shall then be scored by the 
other side. 

GENERAL RULES 

90. — Once a trick is complete, 
turned, and quitted, it must not be 
looked at (except under Law 82) 
until the end of the hand. 

91. — Any player during the play 
of a trick or after the four cards 
are played, and before they are 
"3 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

touched for the purpose of gather- 
ing them together, may demand that 
the cards be placed before their re- 
spective players. 

92. — If either of the declarer's 
adversaries, prior to his partner play- 
ing, call attention to the trick, either 
by saying it is his, or without being 
requested to do so, by naming his 
card or drawing it toward him, the 
declarer may require such partner to 
play his highest or lowest card of 
the suit led, or to win or lose the 
trick. 

93. — Either of the declarer's ad- 
versaries may call his partner's at- 
tention to the fact that he is about 
to play or lead out of turn; but if, 
during the play of the hand, he make 
an unauthorised reference to any in- 
cident of the play, or of any bid pre- 
viously made, the declarer may call 
114 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

a suit from the adversary whose turn 
it is next to lead. 

94.— In all cases where a penalty 
has been incurred the offender is 
bound to give reasonable time for 
the decision of his adversaries. 



NEW CARDS 

95. — Unless a pack is imperfect, 
no player shall have the right to call 
for one new pack. If fresh cards 
are demanded, two packs must be 
furnished. If they are produced 
during a rubber, the adversaries shall 
have the choice of the new cards. 
If it is the beginning of a new rub- 
ber, the dealer, whether he or one 
of his adversaries is the party calling 
for the new cards, shall have the 
choice. New cards must be called 
"5 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

for before the pack is cut for a new 
deal. 

96. — A card or cards torn or 
marked must be replaced by agree- 
ment or new cards furnished. 

BYSTANDERS 

97. — While a bystander, by agree- 
ment among the players, may decide 
any questions, he should not say any- 
thing unless appealed to; and if he 
make any remark which calls atten- 
tion to an oversight, or to the ex- 
action of a penalty, he is liable to 
be called upon by the players to pay 
the stakes (not extras) lost. 

ETIQUETTE OF AUC- 
TION BRIDGE 

In Auction Bridge slight intima- 
tions convey much information. A 
116 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

code is compiled for the purpose of 
succinctly stating laws and for fixing 
penalties for an offence. To offend 
against etiquette is far more serious 
than to offend against a law; for 
while in the latter case the offender 
is subject to prescribed penalties, in 
the former his adversaries have no 
redress. 

i. — Declarations should be made 
in a simple manner, thus: " One 
Heart," " one no-trump," or " I 
pass," or "I double"; they should 
be made orally and not by gesture. 

2. — Aside from this legitimate 
declaration, a player should not give 
any indication by word or gesture 
as to the nature of his hand, or as 
to his pleasure or displeasure at a 
play, a bid, or a double. 

3. — If a player demand that the 
cards be placed, he should do so for 
117 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

his own information and not to call 
his partner's attention to any card or 
play. 

4. — No player, other than the de- 
clarer, should lead until the preced- 
ing trick is turned and quitted; nor, 
after having led a winning card, 
should he draw another" from his 
hand before his partner has played 
to the current trick. 

5. — A player should not play a 
card with such emphasis as to draw 
attention to it. Nor should he de- 
tach one card from his hand and 
subsequently play another. 

6. — A player should not purposely 
incur a penalty because he is willing 
to pay it, nor should he make a sec- 
ond revoke to conceal a first. 

7. — Players should avoid discus- 
sion and refrain from talking during 
play, as it may be annoying to play- 
118 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

ers at the table or to those at other 
tables in the room. 

8. — The dummy should not leave 
his seat for the purpose of watching 
his partner's play, neither should he 
call attention to the score nor to any 
card or cards that he or the other 
players hold, nor to any bid previ- 
ously made. 

9. — If a player say " I have the 
rest " or any words indicating that 
the remaining tricks are his, and one 
or both of the other players should 
expose his or their cards, or request 
him to play out the hand, he should 
not allow any information so ob- 
tained to influence his play nor take 
any finesse not announced by him at 
the time of making such claim, unless 
it had been previously proven to be 
a winner. 

10. — If a player concede in error 
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ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

one or more tricks, the concession 
should stand. 

ii. — A player having been cut out 
of one table should not seek admis- 
sion into another unless willing to 
cut for the privilege of entry. 

12. — No player should look at any 
of his cards until the deal has been 
completed. 



120 



NULLOS 

A short chapter on Nullos seems 
to be in order just now, although the 
count is still somewhat in embryo; for 
there is a division of opinion as to 
whether it should be eight or ten a 
trick, not to mention legions of play- 
ers who do not recognize it at all. 

It is a good bid for a poor hand, 
but as similar information is conveyed 
by the "one spade" bid, its only value 
is, that if left to be played, it has a 
higher count in the trick score — but 
"one nullo" is left in just about as 
often as u one spade," which has a 
very insignificant average. 

To get a nullo bid you are generally 
pushed up to three, and that is not 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

so easy to gain. Of course when you 
are successful, you enjoy its advan- 
tages, but there are many failures. 

It seems a shame to throw away 
good cards for bad, and reminds one 
of "Hearts" — for if the adversary 
can throw the lead your way (espe- 
cially toward the end of the play) you 
may not be able to get rid of the high 
cards you have left. When this ap- 
plies to the adversary you win out, 
but it can, and often does happen to 
your own hand. At any other count 
your high cards are your strength, but 
at this count an unguarded King, or 
a long suit becomes the prey of the 
adversary. 

When you bid a spade, and your 
partner names a suit, you feel that he 
-must have better than the average 
hand to be willing to ignore your dis- 
tress signal, and you are obliged to be 
122 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

content. It is exactly the same thing 
at Nullos, for if your partner takes you 
out of that bid you should think well 
before going back to it, unless you are 
lucky enough to be chicane in his bid ; 
in that case the distribution of the 
suit must be shared with the adver- 
sary, and you have the advantage of 
discarding. 

As it is merely a matter of one's 
own choice as to how many counts 
they wish to play, it is well to know 
them all in order to be an acceptable 
partner to the different players one 
may chance to meet. 



HOW TO BID NULLOS 

Nullos is a game of treys and 
deuces, not of aces and kings, as in 
the winning suits. It is the small 
123 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

cards which win the game for you; 
because you play to lose exactly as 
many tricks as you have contracted 
for. At any suit other than nullos, 
your bid is for a winning contract. 
Should you say "three hearts" you are 
contracting to win nine tricks (three 
over the book). On the other hand, 
when you bid "three nullos" you are 
contracting to lose nine tricks; or to 
make it more clear, you are bidding 
to make the adversary take that num- 
ber of tricks. Therefore your book is 
only four (the difference between nine 
and thirteen). Should you keep your 
contract, you score eight a trick below 
the line for the tricks you compelled 
your adversary to take over his book. 
Should you win less tricks than you 
contracted for, you score an extra 
eight for each. For example, sup- 
posing you had bid "four nullos," you 
124 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

are telling your opponents that you 
expect to make them win ten tricks. 
If you are successful you score 32 be- 
low the line for the four tricks they 
took over their book; if you are lucky 
enough to take even less than you con- 
tracted for, you also score eight for 
each extra trick. When you compel 
them to take all the tricks you get 40 
in the honor column for a slam, or 20 
if they make only a little slam. 

The bidding runs much higher with 
the advent of nullos, for the opposi- 
tion of the poor hand is a force the 
good hand has to contend with. 

The eight count for nullos seems to 
be the most popular bid, as it gives 
precedence to three winning suits — 
hearts, royals and no-trump. While 
hearts and nullos count the same, the 
heart suit outbids the latter. Thus a 
heart overcalls a nullo, although they 
125 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

score the same. Should the first bid 
be a heart, it would then take "two 
nullos" to raise the bid. Nullos are 
played as no-trump, each card having 
its own value, and the honors are the 
aces, scoring inversely. Which means 
that when the opponents hold three or 
more, they are credited to the declar- 
ant's honor score ; should the declarant 
hold them, they are credited to the 
opponents. A great many players do 
not count the honors at all, simply 
scoring for the tricks. 

The difference between a nullo and 
a spade bid seems to confuse the tyro. 
The meaning conveyed is the same 
(i.e., a poor hand without two sure 
tricks in any one suit), but if you are 
playing nullos there must be a decided 
difference in the cards you hold. A 
spade hand may have a number of 
fairly good intermediate cards, such as 
126 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

queens, jacks and tens, but without 
the tops this combination would call 
for a spade bid, although often such 
cards are wonderful helps toward a 
no-trumper. At nullos these interme- 
diate cards are found to be disastrous, 
for how are you going to get rid of 
them? Short or singleton suits are 
your main assets. The remaining suits 
are comparatively safe, even though 
headed by a high card, provided the 
suit is long and protected by low cards. 

When you are long in a suit it 
stands to reason that the adversary 
must be short; therefore you can 
throw in your low cards should the op- 
ponent lead it (which he probably 
can't do more than once or twice), re- 
serving your high cards to discard 
when your short suit is led. 

If your suits are evenly divided it 
is rarely safe to bid a nullo, unless 
127 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

your cards run very low. Jacks and 
tens are often disastrous trick takers, 
while threes, fours, and fives are the 
safeguards of a nullo bid. 

Original nullo declarations can be 
made on the same principle as any 
other first bid. It is informatory; it 
is also a warning to your partner, and 
has the advantage of not being the ex- 
posed hand. Raising your partner's 
nullo bid is a different matter. Should 
the bid stand your hand is then on the 
board, and any strength you may have 
can easily be taken advantage of — 
therefore your raise requires an even 
poorer hand than what you would 
chance as an original bid. 

Never go nullos when your partner 
has opened with a spade. It is better 
to pass, and if left in your loss cannot 
exceed ioo. His spade bid may be 
just short of a good hand, and then 

138 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

it has the disadvantage of being ex- 
posed. 

The following combinations show 
the difference betv/een a nullo and a 
spade bid : 

<P 5> 4» 2 

* 7, 3 

K, Q, 7, s, 2 

♦ 8, 6, 3 

Heretofore we have been forced to 
open such a hand with a spade ; at this 
count it certainly is a nullo. There 
are only two high cards, and they are 
well protected by the small ones in 
that suit; and there is no fear of not 
being able to discard them. 

V J, io, 9, 6 

* Q. J, 7 

K, 9 , 8 

♦ )> lo > 5 

The above hand with its interme- 

129 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

diate high cards calls for a spade bid. 
There are three possible tricks here, 
and perhaps four. Remember the ad- 
versary's lead will undoubtedly be a 
small card, and you will be forced in 
as you have no treys or deuces. Then 
you are not short suited, and will have 
no opportunity to throw off. Some one 
is bound to be short when you hold 
such an even distribution of cards, 
therefore they will be able to dispose 
of their aces and kings; then, too, 
there is always the chance that your 
partner may hold them, and not the 
adversary, so your safest and only bid 
is a spade. Novices should bear in 
mind that a spade bid shows more 
strength than a nullo. 

The following hand is another ex- 
ample of a nullo bid, showing that one 
or two aces or kings are not a detri- 
ment, as long as the remaining cards 
130 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



are low. It also shows the advantage 
of a short suit on which to discard. 

<? J, 8, 6, 3 
*8, 3 
Q» 9> 6, 2 
# K, 6, 3 



<3> 9*7 

*A,Q,J, 7 ,6 
K, J, 8 
♦ io, 9, 5 



S> A, K, 4, 2 

♦ io, 5, 2 
A, 5, 4, 3 

♦ 4> 2 

The bidding runs as follows : 
Z Nullo Z 3 Nullos 

A Royal A 3 Royals 

Y 2 Nullos Y Pass 

B 2 Royals B Pass 

As Z had received one lift from his 
131 







Y 




V Q> 10, 5 








* K, 9, 4 








10, 7 


A 




B 


*A,Q,J,8, 7 ] 




Z 





ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

partner, and was short in the adver- 
sary's suit (which must be strong for 
them to bid as high as three), he felt 
justified in going four nullos, which 
closed the bidding. A led the ten of 
diamonds, which B overtook with the 
king, leading back the nine of hearts. 
As both A and B were short in those 
suits, there were no other leads possible 
from their hands. Z lost five tricks 
instead of four (his contract) ; his 
winning cards were the ace of hearts 
and the king of spades. Therefore he 
scored 40 in the trick score for the five 
tricks he compelled his adversaries to 
take. 

LEADS 

There is very little to be said about 
the lead at nullos; most of the con- 
ventions used at the winning counts 
have no place here; such as tops of 
132 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

sequences, high low, fourth best, or 
even singleton leads, unless the latter 
is as low as a three or four spot. 

When you have a strong hand your 
best lead is a middle card from three 
or four that are not safe. Should you 
hold this combination — Q, 10, 8, 7, 
6 — lead the eight; the reason for this 
is that holding the intermediate cards 
yourself, it necessarily places the very 
low and very high cards in the other 
hands, and unless the low cards are 
evenly distributed, the chances are 
that you will force a higher card than 
your own to be played. At all events 
you are starting something, and your 
partner should thoroughly understand 
your high card lead. 

The declarant of nullos should bear 

in mind that one or two low cards in 

the adversary's suit should be kept, 

and not discarded. They are excel- 

133 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

lent leads after you have gotten rid of 
the high cards in your other suits. 
Reserve them as a means to throw the 
lead; it will not avail you, however, if 
the opponent can return a small card 
of your strong suit, which he will 
certainly do. Hence don't be in a 
hurry about his suit until you have dis- 
posed of your own. 

Heretofore the poor holder kept 
silent, now he is a factor to be dealt 
with. Consequently there are more 
three and four bids than before. It 
seems now to be entirely a game of 
"give or take," for when the bidding 
runs so high, a successful contract 
means game. 

When your partner's card has won 
the trick, you should overtake unless 
you don't want the lead, for it dis- 
poses of two high cards at the same 
time. 

134 



REVISED LAWS 

Now that Royal Auction Bridge 
has become so universally played, it is 
high time that the penalties of the 
game should be understood, and de- 
manded on all occasions of erroneous 
play. This alone keeps the game on a 
scientific basis, and prevents those who 
might purposely misplay, from bene- 
fiting by wrong methods, or allowing 
careless players to score tricks which 
they have forfeited. 

Never object to accepting a penalty 
which you have brought on yourself, 
and don't get peevish when it is your 
partner who is in error. 

When players are allowed to play 
out of the wrong hand, or to revoke 
'35 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

without being penalized, it encourages 
careless play, and gives so much infor- 
mation that the game immediately de- 
teriorates. Penalties for leads out of 
turn, for plays out of turn, a misdeal 
and insufficient bidding are among the 
laws that should be most positively 
observed. One should memorize 
these points, and before starting a 
game with strangers it is proper to ask 
if they play "penalties," just as in the 
bridge days you inquired your part- 
ner's discard. 

One of the most radical changes 
made in the Whist Club's Laws for 
19 13 is omitting any score for chicane, 
and reducing the revoke penalty to 
100 instead of 150 as formerly. The 
three tricks which the declarant has 
the privilege of claiming when he is 
not in fault is not changed, if he pre- 
fers tricks to points. 
136 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

Law 1 1 is entirely new, and meets 
a very annoying situation which often 
occurs. It reads: "When a rubber is 
started with the agreement that the 
play shall terminate (i.e., no new deal 
shall commence) at a specific time, 
and the rubber is unfinished at that 
hour, the score is made up as it stands, 
125 being added to the score of the 
winner of a game. A deal if started 
must be finished." 

An addition to Law 49 reads thus : 
"If a player pass out of turn, the 
order of the bidding is not affected, 
i.e., it is still the turn of the player 
to the left of the last declarer. The 
player who has passed out of turn 
may re-enter the bidding in his proper 
turn if the declaration he has passed 
be overbid or doubled." 

Law 50 has two important points 
which were not made clear before. It 
137 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

reads: "A penalty for a declaration 
out of turn, an insufficient or impos- 
sible declaration, or a bid when pro- 
hibited may not be enforced if either 
adversary pass, double or declare be- 
fore the penalty be demanded.' ' A 
footnote adds that "when the penalty 
for an insufficient declaration is not 
demanded, the bid over which it was 
made may be repeated unless some 
higher bids have intervened' ' — which 
means that should the dealer say three 
Royals (for example), the second 
player declare four clubs (which is in- 
sufficient), and the third hand pass, 
the penalty has not been demanded, 
therefore the fourth player and the 
declarant, when it comes his turn, may 
again repeat the three Royal bid. 

Law 57 adds that a double or a 
redouble is a declaration, and when 
made out of turn either adversary may 
138 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

demand a new deal, or may allow such 
declaration to stand, in which case the 
bidding shall continue as if such decla- 
ration had been in turn. In laws 59- 
60-61 these added privileges to the 
dummy should be noted: first, he not 
only is permitted to call attention to a 
lead from the wrong hand, or a lead 
out of turn, but he can call the atten- 
tion of the declarer to an established 
adverse revoke; second, he has the 
privilege of consulting with and ad- 
vising the declarer as to which pen- 
alty to exact. 

Law 76 now covers a new point, 
which is that "should both adver- 
saries lead simultaneously, the lead 
from the proper hand stands, and the 
other card is exposed." Law 77 pro- 
vides that should the dealer or dummy 
lead out of turn, he may not rectify 
the error unless directed to do so by 
139 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

an adversary. If the second hand play, 
the lead is accepted. 

The new code provides that if the 
second hand plays to the wrong lead, 
the trick stands, and the others must 
play to it as if the lead had been in 
order. Law 80 has this important 
change: that when the fourth hand, 
not being dummy or declarer, play be- 
fore the second, that he not only can 
be called upon to play his highest or 
lowest card to the suit led (as in the 
old laws) , but in case the second hand 
be void of the suit led, the declarer in 
lieu of any other penalty may call 
upon the second hand to play the high- 
est card of any designated suit; if he 
name a suit of which the second hand 
is void, the penalty is paid. 

Law 90 now has a very proper pen- 
alty attached to it, which reads: "A 
trick turned and quitted may not again 
140 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

be looked at (except under Law 82, 
which refers to where two or more 
cards have been played to the same 
trick), until the end of the play." 
The penalty for the violation of this 
law is 25 points in the adverse honor 



141 



GLOSSARY 

Above the Line — The Honor 
Column. 

Below the Line — The Trick Col- 
umn. 

Bonus — Reward in Honor Column. 

Book — The first six tricks won by 
the same partners. 

Bring-in — To make the cards of a 
suit. 

Bust — A hand or a suit without 
a trick. 

By-Cards — The number of tricks 
won over a book. 

Cards of Re-entry — A winning 
card which will bring into play an- 
other suit. 

Chicane — A hand without a trump. 
142 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

Command — The best card of a 
suit. 

Cross Ruff — When two suits are 
being trumped by partners. 

Declarant — The highest bidder. 

Discarding — Not following suit. 

Doubling — Increasing the value of 
trick points. 

Ducking — Refusing to play the 
commanding cards of a suit. 

Dummy — The declarant's partner 
— the one whose cards are exposed 
on the table. 

Echo — Discard of a high card fol- 
lowed by a lower one. 

Eldest Hand — The player on the 
dealer's left. 

Exposed Card — Any card which is 
shown but not played. 

False Cards — Playing the Ace, 
holding the King, or any attempt to 
conceal the cards held. 
143 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

Finesse — Trying to win a trick 
with a card which is not the best in 
the hand. 

Flag Flying — Over-bidding the ad- 
versaries' contract when they are 
likely to go game, at the risk of a 
loss to yourself in the Honor column. 

Forced Bid — Making a higher bid 
than the hand warrants. 

Fourth Best — Counting from the 
highest card of the suit. 

Free or Voluntary Bid — Bidding 
the true value of the hand. 

Grand Slam — Winning all tricks. 

Guarded Suit — A high card pro- 
tected by smaller cards in the same 
suit. 

Honors — The five top cards rang- 
ing from 10 to Ace in a trump suit. 
At no-trump the four Aces. 

Little Slam — Winning all the tricks 
but one. 

144 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

Love- All — The state of the score 
before either side has made a point. 

Odd Trick — The first trick over 
the book. 

Over-Bid — A higher bid in the 
same suit. 

Over-Call — A higher bid in an- 
other suit. 

Over Trick — The first trick over 
the book. 

Revoke — Not following suit when 
able to do so. 

Rubber — Two out of three games. 

Ruffing — Trumping a trick. 

Sequence — Cards immediately fol- 
lowing each other in order of their 
value. 

Singleton — A suit of which you 
hold but one card. 

Tenace — The best and third best 
of a suit — Ace and Queen are Tenace 
over the King and Knave. 
145 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

Third Hand — At Bridge the deal- 
er's partner; at Auction, the declar- 
ant's partner. 

Unblocking — Getting rid of a card 
that may block your partner's suit. 

Without — Meaning a no-trump 
declaration. 

Yarborough — A hand without a 
face card. 

Younger Hand — The partner of 
the original dealer. 



146 



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